The Venture Codex

Participated · Series B · Oct 2022

Valitor leverages a Multivalent Polymer technology platform originating at U.C. Berkeley to create macromolecular therapeutics by combining multiple copies of bioactive molecules on individual biopolymer chains. The platform is designed to optimize pharmacokinetics, target engagement, tissue localization, therapeutic durability, and safety for challenging bioactives and indications. The company’s lead program is a novel anti-VEGF antibody for wet AMD that is positioned to enable twice-yearly treatment and is entering IND-enabling studies. Valitor intends to apply its technology broadly across ophthalmology and vision-threatening diseases to improve patient outcomes. The company is led by CEO Steven Lo, President & CSO Wesley Jackson, CDO William (Sandy) White, and founders Kevin Healy, Ph.D., and David Schaffer, Ph.D. Valitor recently closed a $28M Series B to support its development programs.

Participated · Series C · Jun 2021

Circle Pharma advances the discovery and development of intrinsically cell-permeable macrocycles designed for multiple routes of administration, including oral delivery. Its MXMO platform combines structure-based rational drug design and advanced synthetic chemistry to create macrocycle therapies for challenging targets. The company is developing CID-078, described as its first-and-only-in-class cyclin A/B RxL inhibitor, and is focused on cyclins as key drivers in many cancers. With a recently closed financing, Circle Pharma plans to fund CID-078's clinical development and continue progressing its portfolio of discovery programs built on the MXMO platform. The company aims to address unmet clinical needs in cancer and other serious diseases. Circle Pharma is based in South San Francisco, California. Circle Pharma deploys a structure-based rational design and synthetic-chemistry platform to design intrinsically cell-permeable macrocycles that can address intra- and extra-cellular targets and be delivered by multiple routes, including orally. The company is initially focusing on intracellular protein–protein interactions that drive cancer, with lead programs aimed at cyclin proteins such as cyclin A and cyclin E. Its cyclin-targeted programs are being developed for Rb-dysregulated cancers (including small cell lung cancer) and cyclin E–dependent malignancies like ovarian and uterine cancer. Circle intends to advance its wholly owned cyclin programs toward the clinic. The platform will also be applied to other precision oncology targets that are considered undruggable with small molecules. The company is based in South San Francisco, Calif. Circle Pharma is a macrocycle drug discovery and development company focused on intractable cancer targets. Its technology facilitates the rational design and synthesis of intrinsically cell-permeable macrocycles that can address both intra- and extracellular therapeutic targets and can be delivered by oral administration. The platform is applicable across a wide range of serious diseases, and the company is initially focusing on intracellular protein-protein interactions that are key drivers in cancer. Its lead program targets cyclins A and E, which are part of the regulatory machinery that controls cell growth and division; inhibiting cyclins A and E has been shown to be synthetically lethal in cancers with Rb pathway dysregulation. With the new financing, Circle plans to expand its team, drive its cyclin-targeted programs toward the clinic, and apply its macrocycle platform to additional intractable targets. The company raised $45 million in a Series B to fund advancement of its cyclin inhibitor programs and to expand the pipeline. Circle Pharma is developing a macrocycle drug discovery platform that uses rational design and synthetic chemistry to create intrinsically cell-permeable macrocycles for intra- and extracellular targets, with the aim of oral delivery. The company is initially focused on intracellular protein-protein interactions that drive oncogenic pathways and other serious diseases. Circle is expanding its therapeutic pipeline to add targets including MCL1 and the substrate-binding site of cyclinA/cdk2. Its chemistry process development has achieved key steps toward a more highly automated synthesis platform. With support from Pfizer, Circle is building a physical library of macrocycles predicted to have optimized permeability and will begin synthesis shortly to deliver the library to Pfizer and potentially other collaborators later this year. The company was founded by Prof. Matthew P. Jacobson and Prof. R. Scott Lokey and will use the Series A funds to support platform development and its therapeutic pipeline. Circle Pharma develops intrinsically cell‑permeable macrocyclic peptides using a rational computational design platform combined with synthetic chemistry. The company is focused on intracellular protein‑protein interactions that drive oncogenic pathways and aims to deliver macrocycles that can be orally administered. With seed funding, Circle established its computational design capabilities, advanced synthetic chemistry in collaboration with ChemPartner, and entered a target‑based collaboration with Pfizer. The firm is building a physical library of cell‑permeable macrocycles to augment its computational tools and to provide to collaboration partners. Series A proceeds are intended to support Circle’s therapeutic pipeline and these development efforts. Founders include Prof. Matthew P. Jacobson (UCSF) and Prof. R. Scott Lokey (UC Santa Cruz).